CorvairJim

M–54
Norristown, PennsylvaniaUnited States

2003 Volkswagen New Beetle GLS

“Bubba Smurph”

1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Sport Sedan

“Sir Isaac”

Head to Head

About “Bubba Smurph”

I like my "Real" Beetle, Papa Smurph, so I wanted to see if the new one would work as my daily car. Well, it does. I like it and my kids like it. (My husband says he's embarassed to be seen driving it.....) It has peppy performance, handles well, and gets good gas mileage. It can also carry a week's worth of groceries, something Papa could never do!

About “Sir Isaac”

(I don't have this car anymore. Believe it or not, it was stolen right out of my locked garage while it was partially disassembled for restoration back in the mid 1990's. The car's picture, and those in it's album, are of a similar car sourced from the Internet.)

As a Corvair nut, it's kind of obvious that I like unusual cars. Well, this one was unusual even for a Corvair! How's this for a build sheet: The base 95 h.p. engine hooked up to the optional 4-speed transaxle, and powering the rare factory-optional air conditioning? Not only that, but it had the ultra-rare AM/FM radio too! I got a great screamin' deal on this car, and it served me very well as a nice weather car as well as taking myself and my three kids in comfort to several out-of-town Corvair Club events. It may not have been blindingly fast, but that air conditioning sure made up for a lot of that!

Specs for “Bubba Smurph”

Inline 4 cylinder/5-speed manual transaxle (The engine and transaxle are at the wrong end of the car!)
0-60 - Pretty quick
1/4 mile - Faster than my '69 Beetle!
Top Speed - Faster than I want to go!

Specs for “Sir Isaac”

164 c.i.d., horizontally opposed, air-cooled 6-cylinder engine

95 h.p.

4-speed manual transaxle

0-60: @14 seconds

1/4 mile: @18.5 seconds

Top Speed (Rated): 105 mph

Top Speed (observed): 90 mph

Factory Options for “Bubba Smurph”

Air Conditioning, Power Windows, Power Door Locks, Power Sunroof, AM/FM/CD (with a 6-disk CD changer in the trunk), Leather Upholstery, Aluminum Wheels